How to Spend $20

By David Mumpower

May 17, 2011

Did you get that hat from Evil Loser Russell?

New at BOP:
Share & Save
Digg Button  
Print this column
Welcome to How to Spend $20, BOP’s look at the latest Blu-ray discs and DVDs to hit stores nationwide. This week: a slew of movies with The in the title challenge list-making consumers to alphabetize correctly.

For people who want to see the hottest batch of female leads this side of Sucker Punch: The Roommate (PG-13)

While her run on Friday Night Lights has been over for a while now, Minka Kelly's stunning good looks continue to linger in the minds of cheerleader outfit fetishists everywhere. Meanwhile, Leighton Meester attained celebrity thanks to her presence on Gossip Girl, but with a popular music release and several other clever appearances such as Entourage have identified her as more than just the next Tori Spelling. The combination of the two of them in a Single White Female theme seemed like a genius pairing, and from a box office perspective it was. The $16 million production opened to $15 million. Those are the type of numbers that keep movie makers employed.

Unfortunately, the movie itself is a disaster of epic proportions. Only 4% (!) of Rotten Tomatoes critics enjoyed the thriller; more remarkably, NONE of the top critics gave the movie a positive review. In other words, this is a title you will get only if A) you think one of the cast members is so hot that you are willing to pay money simply to ogle them for 90 minutes (a valid reason) or B) you think that movie critics are idiots. Either way, you cannot say that you went unwarned.




Advertisement



For people who want to see Anthony Hopkins collect another paycheck at the expense of his pride: The Rite

Yes, the above is a cheap shot and yes, anyone who has watched The Wolfman knows there is more than a kernel of truth in the statement. Still, The Rite does offer some appeal for consumers who want to see the latest Exorcist knock-off. As is the case with The Roommate, The Rite is a box office winner, at least somewhat. It earned only $33 million domestically against a $37 million budget, but its worldwide total currently sits near $100 million. The combination of one of the most storied actors of the past quarter century and a premise that blatantly apes The Exorcist is appealing to some. The source material for the film is particularly shameless; its subtitle is The Making of a Modern Exorcist. That is exactly what this project was intended to be, a knockoff of a greater work. It's no different than The Roommate in this regard with the difference being that it is a better film judged more harshly since it is comparing itself to a release a bit higher in quality than Single White Female. At least Hopkins is back in a role that showcases his abilities in Thor.

For people who know what the hammer is: Thor: Tales of Asgard

Speaking of Thor, Marvel has released another straight-to-DVD title that should convert the unexpectedly warm reception of the film into more money for the kings of the comic book industry. The character of Thor may not be as well known as some other major characters in comics, but the depth of Norse mythology always ensures he has plenty of monsters to fight. And since Thor is a crazy guy who drinks too much, his stories are usually a lot of fun. Plus, most of the Marvel Animation titles to date have been quite good. I recommend Ultimate Avengers, Dr. Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme and Planet Hulk in particular. If you like to make yours Marvel, this is a no-brainer purchase.


Continued:       1       2

     


 
 

Need to contact us? E-mail a Box Office Prophet.
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
© 2024 Box Office Prophets, a division of One Of Us, Inc.